There are few things more exciting than a room full of balloons… Especially when you are 5-7 years old and that room is your classroom! Get the (educational) party started with this bouncy activity from Primary Activity Box, part of the Cambridge Copy Collection.
You will need crayons, Balloon game worksheets and (to state the obvious) a selection of different coloured balloons for this primary activity. Using balloons of varying shapes and sizes as well will get little brains whirring even more.
Release the balloons! (and the children)
1: Bounce the balloons around the classroom.
2: Call children by their names and ask them to bring you balloons.
E.g. Ian, give me the red balloon, please.
3: You could make this into a game by dividing the class into teams and giving points.
4: You could take it up a notch and include shapes and sizes in your instructions.
E.g. Mary, give me the long, yellow balloon, please. / Peter, give me the small, blue balloon, please.
5: When all the balloons have been collected, hand out the worksheets and crayons. Play the cassette or read the tape script (below), pausing while pupils colour in the balloons. As they colour in overlapping balloons, point out that new colours are made when two colours mix (magic!).
Tape script
Colour balloon number one red
Colour balloon number two green
Colour balloon number three blue
Colour balloon number four pink
Colour balloon number five yellow
6: With any luck, there will now be some orange, brown and purple going on where the balloons overlap. Teach the pupils the names of these new colours.
Let’s get even brighter
As an extension activity, call out two colours and ask pupils to call out the colour they make.
Red and yellow (orange)
Blue and pink (purple)
Yellow and blue (green)
Black and white (grey)
Red and green (brown)
Red and white (pink)
It’s up to you what you do with the balloons post-activity… good luck with that!
The Cambridge Copy Collection is full of fun activities for young learners. When your classroom is once again balloon-free, why not invite ‘The Weatherman’ for a singalong?